1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to an exercising apparatus for a user's foot and, more particularly, to an isotonic exercising device worn by an otherwise immobile user.
2. General Background
Isometric and isotonic exercising is a well known method for bed-ridden or otherwise immobile patients to exercise. Because of such incapacitation, exercising of any type becomes very important.
In most cases, a patient is able to position themself to push against a fixed surface to exercise the intended muscle group. However, in other cases, the reason for being incapacitated is exactly the reason why the patient is unable to move or reposition him or herself as needed. In such cases, if the muscle group is to be exercised at all, the exercising apparatus must adapt to the patient. This is especially true for leg or lower torso injuries which severely diminish the patient's ability to move. In such cases, and especially if the leg or lower torso is in traction or otherwise held in place, the ability to exercise such muscle groups is often not available. Devices such as those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,805,605 to Glassman; 4,502,170 to Morrow; 3,857,390 to Harrison; 1,118,973 to Troesch; 4,185,813 to Spann; 3,717,144 to Bimler; and, 3,481,593 to Allen, et al. provide for various forms of immobilization of the leg, but no means for exercising the foot. German (BDR) Patent No. DE 31 13167 A1 provides a leg support ( 2) and foot piece (5) upon which a foot could be isometrically exercised.
It is thus an object of this invention to provide an exercising apparatus that is adaptable to a variety of users. Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus that can exercise the lower muscle groups of a user even when the user's lower limbs are being supported or otherwise restrained in place. A further object of this invention is to provide an isotonic exercising apparatus that is fully adjustable so that it can be used regardless of the range of motion of the user. These and other features of this invention will become obvious upon further investigation.
The apparatus of the present invention is also used to help prevent clotting in the extremity or what is commonly referred to as thrombophlebitis or thrombosis. Ater a patient has an injury to an extremity or undergoes surgery, the blood flow in and out of the leg may be compromised. Slow flow often results in clotting in the veins of the leg which can become dislodged and travel through the vascular system to the lungs and can be life-threatening. It has been found that approximately thirty (30%) percent to forty (40%) percent of patients after hip or knee replacement develop some form of clotting. Not all of these patients will have the clot move and go to the lung, but it is a significant problem that requires treatment. Various apparatus and methods have been used in the past, particularly external devices to pump the calf to pump blood out of the leg. Other methods of treatment are to use anti-coagulation medications or drugs that will prevent the blood from clotting. By using this type of medication, however, it often makes the blood too thin and complications, such as bleeding from an ulcer or bleeding into the wound, can develop. This can result in life-threatening consequences; therefore, the medication can be very dangerous.
Therefore, in the past, doctors have used either medication to stop the blood from clotting or external devices to pump the blood back out of the leg. One object of this particular device is to use Mother Nature's own pump within the leg to get the blood back out of the leg and keep it circulating such that the clotting will not occur. It has been found best to elevate the leg which, by gravity, will remove some of the blood from the leg or to use the natural calf muscle as a pump. As one dorsiflexes and plantarflexes the foot, or pulls the toe up toward the knee and then pushes away, the calf musculature contracts and by so doing pumps the blood back out of the leg. There are valves in the leg that are designed to allow blood to flow up toward the knee and hip but not to let it flow back downward. By applying some resistance to which the patient can forcefully plantarflex or push the toes away from the knee, more compression of this natural muscle pump is allowed and in so doing allows more blood to be evacuated from the leg. The simple sock and elastic device of the present invention can be used on an elevation pillow. It can be used with casts or immobilizing devices for the knee or leg or even with some of the athletic braces commonly used. This is a much safer method of removing blood from the leg than external pneumatic compressing devices and is obviously much safer than using medications to "thin" the blood.
Therefore, the basic object of the apparatus of the present invention is to use the natural calf muscle and valve system to pump the blood out of the extremity and by so doing prevent stasis of the blood which allows thrombosis. There should be no significant chance for complications since it is a natural pump system and obviously should be much safer and more effective than the external device or anti-coagulation. One other object is obviously the economy of this apparatus when compared to the cost of medication or the external system.